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ASHGABAT: Pakistan attaches great importance to the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (Tapi) gas pipeline and wants to see the project built as soon as possible, said President Asif Ali Zardari here on Wednesday.

President Zardari was in the Turkmen capital to attend the Nauroz Festival that was also attended by other world leaders.

During his meeting with Turkmen President Dr Gurbanguly M. Berdimuhamedov, Mr Zardari said Turkmenistan could help Pakistan meet its growing energy needs. In return, Pakistan could provide a trade corridor to Turkmenistan — over land and through its ports.

He recalled that he had visited Turkmenistan also in December 2010 to discuss the 1,680-km Tapi pipeline, which would bring 3.2 billion cubic feet of natural gas per day from Turkmenistan’s gas fields to Multan and culminate in the Indian town of Fazilka.

President Zardari said that his government fully supported Turkmenistan’s initiative to establish trans-regional energy corridors.

Discussing bilateral relations, Mr Zardari underlined the need for exploring new avenues of cooperation and finalising the measures to be taken to increase bilateral trade in order to further cement ties.

Mr Zardari said that officials of the two countries should identify items to be traded and explore means to overcome barriers. He said the chambers of commerce and industry of the two countries should work for establishing institutional linkages to
expand trade and economic cooperation.

He congratulated his Turkmen counterpart on the occasion of Nauroz and for holding the festival at a grand scale.

TAJIK PRESIDENT: During their meeting, President Zardari and his Tajik counterpart Emomali Rahmonov reiterated their resolve to enhance economic and trade ties through better linkages and greater regional connectivity in order to fully benefit from the rich potential of the two countries.

Reiterating his proposal for a Trilateral Transit and Trade Agreement among Afghanistan, Pakistan and Tajikistan, Mr Zardari said such an arrangement would help boost economic relations. He expressed the hope that the initiative would be finalised and implemented soon.

He expressed satisfaction that Pakistan-Tajikistan trade had increased from $15 million in 2011 to over $72m in 2012. Grant of the most favoured nation status on reciprocal basis would provide impetus to efforts aimed at enhancing bilateral relations, President Zardari said.

He also underscored the need for a road link between Pakistan and Tajikistan through the Wakhan corridor, connecting Ishkashim and Chitral.

President Zardari termed the ongoing Tajikistan-Turkmenistan road and rail links and gas pipeline through Afghanistan as welcome developments. He proposed that the Tajikistan-Turkmenistan gas project after finalisation be linked up with Tapi project.

AFGHAN PRESIDENT: Pakistan viewed its relations with Afghanistan as an important component of its efforts for peace and stability in the region, Mr Zardari told President Hamid Karzai.

During a meeting here, he told his Afghan counterpart that Pakistan was committed to the long-term peace and stability of Afghanistan.

He recalled that Islamabad had released a number of high-profile Taliban prisoners on the request of the Afghan High Peace Council. This was a demonstration of Pakistan’s sincerity towards the reconciliation efforts of the Afghan government.

Pakistan fully supported an Afghan-led and –owned reconciliation process for peace in Afghanistan. He said a peaceful and stable Afghanistan was in Pakistan’s interest.

President Zardari said despite Pakistan’s own financial constraints, it was providing bilateral assistance of $300 million to Afghanistan.—APP

Comments (5) Closed

Abdur Razzaque

Mar 21, 2013 05:20am

The Trans-regional Energy Pacts, a good sign for the development and existence of the related neighouring countries. Would they be able to overcome all the obstacles that has been waiting on their way for fulfilling their good intentions?

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Taimur

Mar 21, 2013 05:29am

Happy vacations Mr. President

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Nazir K Ali

Mar 21, 2013 06:15am

This reminds me of two words entirely forgotten by me, "wishful thinking." A pipeline of 1,680 kilometers length and supplying 3.2 billion cubic feet of gas per day is really proving the idiom, "If wishes were horses, beggars would ride."
In an area known for its violence, rugged territory, mistrust, petty squabbles, tribal rivalries and eons of underdevelopment, the Americans have expertly thrown a 'rhubarb' in the works. Salams

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A Liberal

Mar 21, 2013 06:25am

Why Multan - isn't the Khyber Pukhtoonkhwa the logical central point; or is it that the establishment in Pakistan has never trusted the Pukhtoons with anything of strategic importance - hence not a single atomic facility in the province, the Russian proposed steel mill in the 60s diverted to Karachi etc.
I thought we were one country!!!

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Akram

Mar 21, 2013 03:21pm

look at the map of pakistan and you will understand why the pipeline goes from Wakhan to Multan. there are important air bases in KP, don't turn this in to an ethnic argument.